Model constitution fails to protect the rights of sexual minorities

January 21, 2015 /
Pahichan Reporter

Kathmandu (Pahichan) January 19 -A model of Federal Republican Constitution that has not protected the rights of homosexual and transgender has been made public. The constitution unveiled by Youth Parliament Nepal has not accommodated the rights of sexual minorities, bisexual and homosexual.

However, Bhakti Shah, Secretary of Youth Parliament Nepal said while submitting the model constitution to President and prime minister they have incorporated the rights of homosexual, transgender and sexual minorities. “In every platform we have pressed the concerned stakeholders to incorporate our rights but that was not addressed, they have pledged to incorporate our rights,” shah told Pahichan online.

The interim Constitution of Nepal has clearly mentioned that there would not discrimination among humans and all the legal provisions should not be discriminatory.

In the model constitution, issues related to citizenship, fundamental rights and rights of male and female. The model constitution was unveiled by constitutional expert Nilambar Acharya. As the chances of new constitution by January 22 has effectively end, the Youth Parliament Nepal has prepared model constitution to put pressure on parties.

There is not a uniform understanding among ordinary people about homosexual, transgender, inter-sex and bi-sexual people. Even the people who know about variance in this community address saying female, male and transgender. They, however, do not have proper knowledge that transgender have two categories: transgender woman and transgender man.
In this situation, it is not an easy task to inform society about their rights. Even the media and society did not have a positive attitude towards sexual and gender minority such as homosexual, transgender, inter-sex and bi-sexual people. National media had... Read more